Economy Sep 26, 2013

Abe team puts corporate tax on table

A pledge to start considering a cut in the effective corporate tax rate “as soon as possible” will likely be included in the upcoming economic stimulus package, administration officials said Thursday. A reduction in corporate tax could entice more foreign companies to operate in ...

Economy Sep 25, 2013

LDP proposes big tax breaks for businesses

The Liberal Democratic Party has proposed around ¥300 billion in tax cuts to invigorate business investment, a pillar of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s economic growth plan, executives of the LDP’s tax panel said. The tax reduction plan, intended to soften the blow of the ...

Economy Sep 24, 2013

LDP proposes ¥300 billion in tax cuts to boost corporate investment

The Liberal Democratic Party’s tax panel proposed Tuesday around ¥300 billion in tax cuts to invigorate business investment, viewed as a pillar of economic growth by the Abe administration. The tax reduction plan is expected to be included in an economic stimulus package to ...

Economy Sep 24, 2013

Motegi, French ministers agree to push EU trade talks

Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Toshimitsu Motegi has agreed with France’s industrial and trade ministers to promote free trade negotiations between Japan and the European Union. The accord was reached Monday in Paris during talks Motegi held separately with Arnaud Montebourg, French minister ...

Economy Sep 24, 2013

More upbeat 'tankan' predicted

Most private think tanks in a recent survey expect the Bank of Japan’s next “tankan” report to show improved business sentiment among large manufacturers for the third straight quarter. Fifteen of the 17 think tanks canvassed predict the headline diffusion index for large manufacturers ...

Economy Sep 24, 2013

Spain drew record 8.3 million tourists

A record 8.3 million foreign tourists flocked to Spain in August, with British, French and German vacationers leading the charge, the Spanish government said Monday. It was the highest monthly number of foreign tourists to Spain since current records began in 1995 and 7.1 ...

Economy Sep 22, 2013

Abe to review plan to double sales tax to 10%

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe suggests he will re-examine the advisability of approving the second stage of the consumption tax hike to 10 percent in October 2015.

Economy Sep 22, 2013

TPP talks ready to ascend to political level

Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiators on Saturday cleared the way for political decisions at high-level meetings next month that may lead to the creation of a new free trade pact that will dwarf existing agreements, Japan’s top TPP negotiator said. “We have succeeded in laying the ...

Economy Sep 22, 2013

Japan, Canada close to deal on shale gas export boost

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper are expected to agree to increase Canadian shale gas exports to Japan from around 2020, Japanese officials said Sunday. Canada’s envisioned shale gas exports are likely to total 40 million tons a year. The ...

Economy Sep 20, 2013

EU to ease budget deficit calculation

European Union finance experts have reached a preliminary agreement on changing the way the bloc determines some deficit figures, which will lessen the pressure for austerity measures in some crisis-hit economies, an EU official said Thursday. The change to the calculation of the bloc’s ...

Economy Sep 19, 2013

Government may end post-3/11 corporate tax surcharge

The government might end a special corporate tax surcharge levied to finance reconstruction work in areas hit by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami a year earlier than planned, sources familiar with the matter said Thursday. The de facto cut of about 2 points ...